The present invention relates to a device for protecting hemorrhoids during defecation and more specifically to an anal canal-positioned device that biases internal hemorrhoids against the canal wall and thus prevents swelling and/or prolapse and/or irritation of internal and optionally external hemorrhoids caused by physical straining and/or defecation.
Hemorrhoids are anal canal wall structures which are composed of arterio-venous channels and connective tissue and serve as cushions to aid the passage of stool.
Hemorrhoids become pathological when swollen or inflamed; pathological hemorrhoids are often referred to as piles. The symptoms of pathological hemorrhoids depend on hemorrhoid type. Internal hemorrhoids typically present as painless rectal bleeding while external hemorrhoids present with pain in the area of the anus.
External hemorrhoids occur at the distal end of the anal canal near the anal orifice. External hemorrhoids are varicosities of the veins draining the inferior rectal arteries, which are branches of the internal pudendal artery. They are sometimes painful, and often accompanied by swelling and irritation. Itching, although often thought to be a symptom of external hemorrhoids, is more commonly due to skin irritation. External hemorrhoids are prone to thrombosis: if the vein ruptures and/or a blood clot develops, the hemorrhoid becomes a thrombosed hemorrhoid.
Internal hemorrhoids occur in the dentate line, which is the anatomical landmark at the boundary between the anal canal to the rectum, and are varicosities of veins draining the superior rectal arteries. Since this region lacks pain receptors, internal hemorrhoids are usually not painful, however, they may bleed when irritated and or swollen. Untreated internal hemorrhoids can lead to two severe forms of hemorrhoids: prolapsed and strangulated hemorrhoids. Prolapsed hemorrhoids are internal hemorrhoids that are distended and pushed outside the anus. If the anal sphincter muscle goes into spasm and traps a prolapsed hemorrhoid outside the anal opening, the supply of blood is cut off, and the hemorrhoid becomes a strangulated hemorrhoid.
One main cause of prolapsed hemorrhoids is straining, caused by, for example, defecation. For people who suffer from hemorrhoids, defecation, resulting in hemorrhoids prolapse, is not only painful, but a daily trigger to the progression of the disease. Defecation may also lead to bleeding of hemorrhoids, due to contact between fecal matter and hemorrhoidal tissue.
Internal hemorrhoids are typically classified as follows: grade I—no prolapse, grade II—prolapse upon defecation but spontaneously reduce, grade III—prolapse upon defecation and need for manual reduction, and grade IV—prolapsed and cannot be manually reduced.
Hemorrhoid treatment typically involves an increase in fiber intake, oral fluids to maintain hydration, NSAID analgesics, sitz baths, and rest. Surgery is reserved for cases that fail to improve following such treatment.
Although present treatment approaches are somewhat effective in reversing pathological hemorrhoids, there remains a need for treatment that prevents formation or progression of hemorrhoids and in particular internal hemorrhoids.